1988
February 1988
1988 was a national election year, and the February 24, 1988 Hollis Times proudly announced that “61-1/2 of the town’s registered voters or 2083 residents came to the Town Hall and exercised their right to vote” on Primary Day. The state average of participation was 48%, which was a record.
The town’s great interest in the Primary might have been partly influenced by two visits to Hollis by the then U.S. Vice President and candidate for President, George Bush, on February 1 and February 11. The February 24, 1988 Hollis Times covered both events – the first a reception for Mr. Bush and his supporters at Thomas and Mary Jane Merritt’s home on Pepperell Road and the second a Question and Answer forum, set in a Town Meeting format. This second session was filmed and edited into a half-hour commercial that was aired on all three major networks on February 13.
Interest in the national political scene did not seem to spill over into local affairs, however. Only about 60 residents, or “less than 2 % of the town’s registered voters,” attended the town’s budget hearing on February 10. This might have been because the town was proposing no new expenditures in the upcoming year. In fact, the budget recommended by the Budget Committee reflected a zero increase in taxes for operation of the town. The school budget hearing, which proposed a relatively modest budget increase, was also lightly attended. Again, voters appeared more interested in their pocketbooks than the details of curriculum, special programs and staff positions. (Note: Town Meeting 1988 showed only one counted vote of 106 to 75. The School District Meeting report indicated a counted teller card vote of 147 to 59. Averaging less than 200 total votes cast, these local votes involved less than 10% of those who participated in the national Primary election!)
March 1988
The March 23, 1988 Hollis Times featured an article titled “The Last Town Meeting,” written by Joan Tinklepaugh as part of her Flashbacks series. It chronicled the last Town Meeting of Monson, which was held on April 9, 1770.
Joan wrote: “A small group of despondent men sat waiting in the tavern room of Archealus Towne’s Inn for the ‘Last Town Meeting’ to begin. Chairs and feet shuffled restlessly on the uneven pine floor as they talked hesitantly among themselves. It was April 9, 1770 and these men were residents of the town of Monson. After 25 years of a rather tenuous existence, they had decided to petition the General Court of New Hampshire requesting that the town be divided and merged into the neighboring towns of Hollis, Amherst and Milford.
“As the candles flickered in the darkening room, the tensions between neighbors heightened. William Nevins, who was chosen Moderator for this ‘Last Town Meeting,’ and Benjamin Kendrick, town clerk, must have voiced their disappointment and disgust over the fruitless efforts of the past years to bring a sense of commitment and dedication to this community. This meeting was quite a contrast to the hopeful beginning at the first town meeting of 1746 when the town, having obtained a charter from the Province of New Hampshire, commenced its business by agreeing to build a pound and buy ‘a book to record notes.’
“For whatever reasons, poverty, lack of leadership or dedication to community, Monson seemed unable to prosper. Repeatedly the call to tax for building a meetinghouse and a school was turned down in Annual Meeting after Annual Meeting. Although Monson’s intentions seemed earnest, the will or the money to tax for the good of all was not there. . . .
“At the Town Meeting on March 12, 1770 the warrant articles to raise taxes to build a meetinghouse and pay for the support of a preacher were again turned down and by April a special meeting was called to divide the town and choose a committee to petition the Governor to dissolve the township. The men meeting at Archealus Towne’s Inn approved the above articles, and William Nevins and Nathan Hutchinson were chosen as the committee to approach the Governor of New Hampshire. Another meeting was called for June 5, 1770, but Benjamin Kendrick, town clerk, wrote in his Record Book –‘At which time the moderator being sick could not attend said meeting’ and the books on the Town of Monson were closed forever.”
April 1988
The April 13, 1988 Hollis Times also contained “a friendly reminder to the residents of Hollis from your Forest Fire Warden.” Edward Chamberlain reminded residents that “a fire permit is required for all open fires except charcoal grills” and stated that these permits could be obtained at the police station “along with a copy of the rules and regulations governing open burning.”
Two weeks later, the April 27, 1988 Hollis Times reprinted a 1906 photo of the old fire station, The Always Ready Engine House, on its front page. The photo was accompanied by an article titled “It’s Uniquely Hollis,” which recalled “the excitement of Henry Wilson’s big gray horses being hitched up to the fire engines and thundering off.” As the Hollis Police Department moved into its new building in April of 1988, holding a gala open house on April 23 and 24, a group was already organizing to preserve this historic building, which was now also known as the “old police station,” in its original location. Currently a museum maintained by the Hollis Historical Society, the building has been beautifully restored and preserved so that Hollis will never forget this important part of our history.
May 1988
If May 1983 was busy in Hollis, May 1988 was even busier. Granted, by 1988, Balloon Day at the elementary school had been cancelled for good; but May of 1988 also featured two equine events (a carriage drive and a horse show), a very well attended Senior play at the high school and an historical Revolutionary War reenactment at Nichols Field. The reenactment commemorated the 1780 encampment of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment of General George Washington’s Continental Army in Hollis, while they were on their way to join the main army in New Jersey. Although the article in the May 11, 1988 Hollis Times confessed that this event never really happened, the authentic 18th century military camp set up at Nichols Field was promised to feature “an interesting, exciting and educational afternoon including drills, camp life and a court martial trial.” This event was sponsored by the Hollis Historical Society in honor of the upcoming Bicentennial celebration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, to be held on July 4.
June 1988
The June 15, 1983 Hollis Times did not contain any information on the 1983 Memorial Day celebration in Hollis. There is no mention of Memorial Day exercises in the June 1988 issues of the Hollis Times either. However, there is a lengthy article describing the tentative schedule for a different patriotic activity in Hollis – the July 4, 1988 observance of the Constitutional Bicentennial. The day was scheduled to begin with a parade at 3 pm. This was to be followed by patriotic ceremonies at Nichols Field (flag ceremony, recitations and speeches) from 5 to 6 pm and a performance of patriotic songs by the Hollis Bicentennial Chorus. The day was to conclude with a big chicken barbecue and a bonfire. Committee chairman Erving Simonds billed the event as an “old-fashioned 4th of July and Constitutional observance” and it certainly did revive some of the traditions of the Memorial Day observance of 1900.
Most would agree that we no longer celebrate Memorial Day the way we did 98 years ago. I have often wondered when this changed. The Hollis Times did not publish from 1917 to 1978, but there is information in the newspaper about Memorial Day celebrations during this period, thanks, in part, to a poignant letter to the Editor in the June 22, 1988 Hollis Times. Albert E. Hills wrote a letter titled Memorial Day Remembered in which he chronicled the activities of the Memorial Days of his youth, which, not surprisingly, are fairly similar to those reported in the June 1, 1900 Hollis Times. Although it is long, I would like to quote the major part of his letter.
“As a child, I remember Memorial Day or Decoration Day as a time when children and townspeople brought flowers to the town hall in the morning for the Women’s Relief Corps to make bouquets for decorating the soldiers’ graves. Earlier these ladies had made wreaths for this purpose, each grave receiving a wreath, a bouquet and a flag.
“The G.A.R., Sons of Veterans, and World War (I) Veterans spent the forenoon visiting the outlying cemeteries, followed by a lunch served in the lower town hall by these same ladies of the W.R.C.
“In the afternoon the rest of the town turned out for the parade. Led by the G.A.R., the Sons of the Veterans and World War Veterans, followed by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school children and the band, the parade formed in front of the G.A.R. hall and proceeded to the town hall. There was a speaker, music and the Gettysburg Address given by a boy of the sophomore class of Hollis High School. The school program had been held the afternoon of the day before.
“Following the program in the town hall, the parade reformed and marched to the East or South cemetery (each on alternate years). On return to the village, graves in the churchyard were decorated with a wreath, bouquet and a flag. Boy and Girl Scouts had a part in this. I remember as a Boy Scout I decorated the grave of Capt. Daniel Emerson (son of the first minister in Hollis). The churchyard contains graves of Revolutionary, and French and Indian War soldiers as well as those of later conflicts. This was followed by the service for the Unknown Dead and a band concert.
“After World War II it was decided to erect a larger flagpole in each cemetery accompanied by the smaller markers with flags in memory of the veterans of each war (one of each).”
Albert’s letter concludes with several questions. He notes that most of the individual markers have been removed from the graves except where the families have managed to keep one and renew the flag each year themselves. He also laments the fact that the ropes are missing from the flagpoles, making it impossible to use them. He asks why. The question he leaves unasked is whether some of the old traditions of Memorial Day in Hollis have been lost.
July 1988
Three traditional Hollis summertime activities were celebrated in July of 1988, according to the July 13, 1988 Hollis Times. The Hollis Strawberry Festival, which features food and music, received extensive front-page coverage in this edition. And the Fourth of July festivities, much more elaborate than in most years, were covered in a ten-photo spread in the center section of the paper. Finally, five weddings and three anniversary celebrations were described, including Louise and George Worcester’s 55th and Natalie and Roy Helsing’s 50th.
The Helsing’s party, reported in the July 13, 1988 Hollis Times, was a surprise party held at the Hollis Seniors annual picnic. Except for the names of the guests, the description of this event could have been written 100 years ago. “The Seniors joined together to make it a great party with a huge Anniversary cake, cards and a money tree. Tributes were made to them as Ray Warren read a lovely original poem, while George Wright’s remarks were nostalgic, humorous and sincere. Sylvia Eggleston . . .was present to lead the group singing.” All of the ingredients of the anniversary parties of 100 years ago were certainly present at this celebration, 88 years later.
August 1988
Two photos on the front page of the August 24, 1988 Hollis Times reminded me why rapids form in the Nashua River when the water rises. A drought, which occurred in August of 1988, exposed the foundation of an old dam, which was part of a gristmill located just below Runnells Bridge. According to an article which accompanied the photos, the chestnut logs, which were laid over 100 years earlier, had not been completely visible in 50 years. This issue also contained information about the town’s purchase of the Old Engine House for $1 and the plans of a group of interested citizens to restore it.
September 1988
In September of 1988, renovation of the old firehouse at the west end of the Town Common was well underway. The September 28, 1988 Hollis Times featured photos of June Litwin and Shirley Cohen scraping, hammering and painting as they worked to bring out “an even brighter side of our little old lady in white satin.”
On September 20, 1988, Hollis Elementary School was honored by a visit from U.S. Secretary of Education William E. Bennett. In a front-page article, writer Debbe Shipman reported that Bennett came to HES “on his last day in office to recognize the school as being one of 287 elementary and middle schools nationwide cited for Excellence in Education.” Bennett visited Carol Smiglin’s second grade classroom and was honored at an outdoor ceremony attended by approximately 1000 students, faculty, parents, senior citizens, townspeople, dignitaries and media people. After the ceremony, Bennett held a press conference and answered questions about urban schools and local vs. state control of education, citing Hollis as a good example of what local control has to offer.
Exactly five years after seeds were sown for a drug and alcohol abuse organization, Carolyn Gargasz was requesting suggestions for a new name for the Chemical Abuse Task Force (CATF) “to better reflect what we do.” A $50 prize was being offered for the winning name, to be drawn by a panel of judges.
October 1988
The Hollis Apple Festival was once again very successful, as evidenced by a front-page article and six-photo spread in the October 12 Hollis Times. Re-reading the story about “the fragrant smells of apple pies, apple crisp, cider, old-fashioned Granny donuts and piping hot coffee” made my mouth water!
Participants in the sixth annual Applefest Half Marathon, held on October 8, were not as lucky as the festival-goers, as race day dawned “unseasonably cold and raw” with showers. Despite the bad weather, a record 650 runners traveled the 13.1-mile course. (Over 800 had registered but about 150 were no-shows because of the rain.) According to a report in the October 26 Hollis Times, Robert Sengstaken was the top Hollis male finisher and Jody Secules the top Hollis female.
The Fall Freedom Ride/Race was held one week earlier, on October 1, under beautiful Indian Summer skies. According to an article in the October 12, 1988 Hollis Times, 150 bicyclists rode, with 110 participating in the race. Riders came to Hollis from 27 New Hampshire and 39 Massachusetts towns, as well as from Vermont, Maine and New York to vie for prizes donated by local businessmen. The winner completed the 25-mile course in just over an hour. The other 40 cyclists logged between 11 and 72 miles on the bike tour, raising money for each mile ridden. Entry fees and pledge dollars all benefited the CATF (Chemical Abuse Task Force), with funds earmarked for drug and alcohol education and counseling in the Hollis schools.
Dominating the Hollis news scene in the fall of 1988 was the pressing need for a new high school. A Special School District hearing set for October 19 was postponed until November 11 and the associated Special District meeting put off until December 14. The meeting was scheduled to revote on a decision made at the March District meeting, which was declared invalid by the courts due to improper voting procedures. The old article authorized a $100,000 expenditure for the “down payment and other expenditures on a property or properties for a proposed school site.” The new article also asked that $25,000 of that $100,000 be available “for architectural fees for building schematics, specifications and site investigation.”
November 1988
The Selectmen’s Newsletter, written by Selectman Jim Belanger, was printed on the front page of the November 9, 1988 Hollis Times and began with a long dissertation titled “Have we seen the end of a tradition?” In this article, Belanger noted that the traditional annual Fireman’s Ball had to be canceled in 1988 as there were not enough tickets sold to even pay for the hall. He then chronicled the history of the Policeman’s Ball and Fireman’s Ball, which served the dual purpose of “providing the community with a grand occasion to gather and celebrate together” and funding a relief fund to be used to help the town’s volunteer policemen and firemen in case they were injured due to their efforts on behalf of the town.
Belanger noted that over the years the popularity of the event had waned, probably because the Police Department began to have more full-time officers but also possibly because the spirit and need to gather was now disappearing in the community. He suspected that “1988 may have signaled the end of the community’s banding together for a common purpose to promote volunteering.”
Although there was no Fireman’s Ball in 1988, townspeople were gathering and celebrating together. The Hollis Grange met and installed its officers for 1988-1989 and the Shepherd’s Fund was sponsoring a Holiday Craft Fair and Service Auction, which was held at the Hollis Town Hall on November 26. Of course, the Community Christmas Card Scholarship Fund drive was again underway.
December 1988
The Special School District Meeting on December 14, 1988 was certainly foremost in the minds of Hollis residents ten years ago, as 1988 was drawing to a close. The voters at the meeting approved, by a vote of 238 to 65, a warrant article to raise $100,000 “to study the suitability of potential [high] school sites, to put a down payment on land, and to employ an architect to assist with site evaluations and to develop building schematics and cost figures for a bond issue.” According to the December 7, 1988 Hollis Times, this was the same $100,000 that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters at the March School District Meeting. However, in October the State Department of Revenue declared that vote invalid. Two sites were being investigated for a new high school – the Parkhurst property at the end of Muzzey Road and a portion of the Town Forest known as the Big Dickerman at the corner of Hayden Road and Rte 122.
Town hall expansion was still being discussed, especially in the town hall, and Senior housing was also a hot topic of conversation. According to an article in the December 21 Hollis Times, the Senior Citizens’ Housing Committee had concluded that what they would like to see in Hollis was “a public Senior’s Hall, located on property that is suitable for expansion into housing as needed. Several apartment-like units would be connected to this hall for the immediate need, with the provision for expansion – these to be rented to pay their cost (no profit). Standardized individual or duplex cottages could then be built for Hollis Seniors who can no longer manage their existing homes. Financing these cottages might be by those wishing to live in the Senior’s Community with the facilities eventually reverting to the Organization for subsequent rental.”
1988 was a national election year, and the February 24, 1988 Hollis Times proudly announced that “61-1/2 of the town’s registered voters or 2083 residents came to the Town Hall and exercised their right to vote” on Primary Day. The state average of participation was 48%, which was a record.
The town’s great interest in the Primary might have been partly influenced by two visits to Hollis by the then U.S. Vice President and candidate for President, George Bush, on February 1 and February 11. The February 24, 1988 Hollis Times covered both events – the first a reception for Mr. Bush and his supporters at Thomas and Mary Jane Merritt’s home on Pepperell Road and the second a Question and Answer forum, set in a Town Meeting format. This second session was filmed and edited into a half-hour commercial that was aired on all three major networks on February 13.
Interest in the national political scene did not seem to spill over into local affairs, however. Only about 60 residents, or “less than 2 % of the town’s registered voters,” attended the town’s budget hearing on February 10. This might have been because the town was proposing no new expenditures in the upcoming year. In fact, the budget recommended by the Budget Committee reflected a zero increase in taxes for operation of the town. The school budget hearing, which proposed a relatively modest budget increase, was also lightly attended. Again, voters appeared more interested in their pocketbooks than the details of curriculum, special programs and staff positions. (Note: Town Meeting 1988 showed only one counted vote of 106 to 75. The School District Meeting report indicated a counted teller card vote of 147 to 59. Averaging less than 200 total votes cast, these local votes involved less than 10% of those who participated in the national Primary election!)
March 1988
The March 23, 1988 Hollis Times featured an article titled “The Last Town Meeting,” written by Joan Tinklepaugh as part of her Flashbacks series. It chronicled the last Town Meeting of Monson, which was held on April 9, 1770.
Joan wrote: “A small group of despondent men sat waiting in the tavern room of Archealus Towne’s Inn for the ‘Last Town Meeting’ to begin. Chairs and feet shuffled restlessly on the uneven pine floor as they talked hesitantly among themselves. It was April 9, 1770 and these men were residents of the town of Monson. After 25 years of a rather tenuous existence, they had decided to petition the General Court of New Hampshire requesting that the town be divided and merged into the neighboring towns of Hollis, Amherst and Milford.
“As the candles flickered in the darkening room, the tensions between neighbors heightened. William Nevins, who was chosen Moderator for this ‘Last Town Meeting,’ and Benjamin Kendrick, town clerk, must have voiced their disappointment and disgust over the fruitless efforts of the past years to bring a sense of commitment and dedication to this community. This meeting was quite a contrast to the hopeful beginning at the first town meeting of 1746 when the town, having obtained a charter from the Province of New Hampshire, commenced its business by agreeing to build a pound and buy ‘a book to record notes.’
“For whatever reasons, poverty, lack of leadership or dedication to community, Monson seemed unable to prosper. Repeatedly the call to tax for building a meetinghouse and a school was turned down in Annual Meeting after Annual Meeting. Although Monson’s intentions seemed earnest, the will or the money to tax for the good of all was not there. . . .
“At the Town Meeting on March 12, 1770 the warrant articles to raise taxes to build a meetinghouse and pay for the support of a preacher were again turned down and by April a special meeting was called to divide the town and choose a committee to petition the Governor to dissolve the township. The men meeting at Archealus Towne’s Inn approved the above articles, and William Nevins and Nathan Hutchinson were chosen as the committee to approach the Governor of New Hampshire. Another meeting was called for June 5, 1770, but Benjamin Kendrick, town clerk, wrote in his Record Book –‘At which time the moderator being sick could not attend said meeting’ and the books on the Town of Monson were closed forever.”
April 1988
The April 13, 1988 Hollis Times also contained “a friendly reminder to the residents of Hollis from your Forest Fire Warden.” Edward Chamberlain reminded residents that “a fire permit is required for all open fires except charcoal grills” and stated that these permits could be obtained at the police station “along with a copy of the rules and regulations governing open burning.”
Two weeks later, the April 27, 1988 Hollis Times reprinted a 1906 photo of the old fire station, The Always Ready Engine House, on its front page. The photo was accompanied by an article titled “It’s Uniquely Hollis,” which recalled “the excitement of Henry Wilson’s big gray horses being hitched up to the fire engines and thundering off.” As the Hollis Police Department moved into its new building in April of 1988, holding a gala open house on April 23 and 24, a group was already organizing to preserve this historic building, which was now also known as the “old police station,” in its original location. Currently a museum maintained by the Hollis Historical Society, the building has been beautifully restored and preserved so that Hollis will never forget this important part of our history.
May 1988
If May 1983 was busy in Hollis, May 1988 was even busier. Granted, by 1988, Balloon Day at the elementary school had been cancelled for good; but May of 1988 also featured two equine events (a carriage drive and a horse show), a very well attended Senior play at the high school and an historical Revolutionary War reenactment at Nichols Field. The reenactment commemorated the 1780 encampment of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment of General George Washington’s Continental Army in Hollis, while they were on their way to join the main army in New Jersey. Although the article in the May 11, 1988 Hollis Times confessed that this event never really happened, the authentic 18th century military camp set up at Nichols Field was promised to feature “an interesting, exciting and educational afternoon including drills, camp life and a court martial trial.” This event was sponsored by the Hollis Historical Society in honor of the upcoming Bicentennial celebration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, to be held on July 4.
June 1988
The June 15, 1983 Hollis Times did not contain any information on the 1983 Memorial Day celebration in Hollis. There is no mention of Memorial Day exercises in the June 1988 issues of the Hollis Times either. However, there is a lengthy article describing the tentative schedule for a different patriotic activity in Hollis – the July 4, 1988 observance of the Constitutional Bicentennial. The day was scheduled to begin with a parade at 3 pm. This was to be followed by patriotic ceremonies at Nichols Field (flag ceremony, recitations and speeches) from 5 to 6 pm and a performance of patriotic songs by the Hollis Bicentennial Chorus. The day was to conclude with a big chicken barbecue and a bonfire. Committee chairman Erving Simonds billed the event as an “old-fashioned 4th of July and Constitutional observance” and it certainly did revive some of the traditions of the Memorial Day observance of 1900.
Most would agree that we no longer celebrate Memorial Day the way we did 98 years ago. I have often wondered when this changed. The Hollis Times did not publish from 1917 to 1978, but there is information in the newspaper about Memorial Day celebrations during this period, thanks, in part, to a poignant letter to the Editor in the June 22, 1988 Hollis Times. Albert E. Hills wrote a letter titled Memorial Day Remembered in which he chronicled the activities of the Memorial Days of his youth, which, not surprisingly, are fairly similar to those reported in the June 1, 1900 Hollis Times. Although it is long, I would like to quote the major part of his letter.
“As a child, I remember Memorial Day or Decoration Day as a time when children and townspeople brought flowers to the town hall in the morning for the Women’s Relief Corps to make bouquets for decorating the soldiers’ graves. Earlier these ladies had made wreaths for this purpose, each grave receiving a wreath, a bouquet and a flag.
“The G.A.R., Sons of Veterans, and World War (I) Veterans spent the forenoon visiting the outlying cemeteries, followed by a lunch served in the lower town hall by these same ladies of the W.R.C.
“In the afternoon the rest of the town turned out for the parade. Led by the G.A.R., the Sons of the Veterans and World War Veterans, followed by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school children and the band, the parade formed in front of the G.A.R. hall and proceeded to the town hall. There was a speaker, music and the Gettysburg Address given by a boy of the sophomore class of Hollis High School. The school program had been held the afternoon of the day before.
“Following the program in the town hall, the parade reformed and marched to the East or South cemetery (each on alternate years). On return to the village, graves in the churchyard were decorated with a wreath, bouquet and a flag. Boy and Girl Scouts had a part in this. I remember as a Boy Scout I decorated the grave of Capt. Daniel Emerson (son of the first minister in Hollis). The churchyard contains graves of Revolutionary, and French and Indian War soldiers as well as those of later conflicts. This was followed by the service for the Unknown Dead and a band concert.
“After World War II it was decided to erect a larger flagpole in each cemetery accompanied by the smaller markers with flags in memory of the veterans of each war (one of each).”
Albert’s letter concludes with several questions. He notes that most of the individual markers have been removed from the graves except where the families have managed to keep one and renew the flag each year themselves. He also laments the fact that the ropes are missing from the flagpoles, making it impossible to use them. He asks why. The question he leaves unasked is whether some of the old traditions of Memorial Day in Hollis have been lost.
July 1988
Three traditional Hollis summertime activities were celebrated in July of 1988, according to the July 13, 1988 Hollis Times. The Hollis Strawberry Festival, which features food and music, received extensive front-page coverage in this edition. And the Fourth of July festivities, much more elaborate than in most years, were covered in a ten-photo spread in the center section of the paper. Finally, five weddings and three anniversary celebrations were described, including Louise and George Worcester’s 55th and Natalie and Roy Helsing’s 50th.
The Helsing’s party, reported in the July 13, 1988 Hollis Times, was a surprise party held at the Hollis Seniors annual picnic. Except for the names of the guests, the description of this event could have been written 100 years ago. “The Seniors joined together to make it a great party with a huge Anniversary cake, cards and a money tree. Tributes were made to them as Ray Warren read a lovely original poem, while George Wright’s remarks were nostalgic, humorous and sincere. Sylvia Eggleston . . .was present to lead the group singing.” All of the ingredients of the anniversary parties of 100 years ago were certainly present at this celebration, 88 years later.
August 1988
Two photos on the front page of the August 24, 1988 Hollis Times reminded me why rapids form in the Nashua River when the water rises. A drought, which occurred in August of 1988, exposed the foundation of an old dam, which was part of a gristmill located just below Runnells Bridge. According to an article which accompanied the photos, the chestnut logs, which were laid over 100 years earlier, had not been completely visible in 50 years. This issue also contained information about the town’s purchase of the Old Engine House for $1 and the plans of a group of interested citizens to restore it.
September 1988
In September of 1988, renovation of the old firehouse at the west end of the Town Common was well underway. The September 28, 1988 Hollis Times featured photos of June Litwin and Shirley Cohen scraping, hammering and painting as they worked to bring out “an even brighter side of our little old lady in white satin.”
On September 20, 1988, Hollis Elementary School was honored by a visit from U.S. Secretary of Education William E. Bennett. In a front-page article, writer Debbe Shipman reported that Bennett came to HES “on his last day in office to recognize the school as being one of 287 elementary and middle schools nationwide cited for Excellence in Education.” Bennett visited Carol Smiglin’s second grade classroom and was honored at an outdoor ceremony attended by approximately 1000 students, faculty, parents, senior citizens, townspeople, dignitaries and media people. After the ceremony, Bennett held a press conference and answered questions about urban schools and local vs. state control of education, citing Hollis as a good example of what local control has to offer.
Exactly five years after seeds were sown for a drug and alcohol abuse organization, Carolyn Gargasz was requesting suggestions for a new name for the Chemical Abuse Task Force (CATF) “to better reflect what we do.” A $50 prize was being offered for the winning name, to be drawn by a panel of judges.
October 1988
The Hollis Apple Festival was once again very successful, as evidenced by a front-page article and six-photo spread in the October 12 Hollis Times. Re-reading the story about “the fragrant smells of apple pies, apple crisp, cider, old-fashioned Granny donuts and piping hot coffee” made my mouth water!
Participants in the sixth annual Applefest Half Marathon, held on October 8, were not as lucky as the festival-goers, as race day dawned “unseasonably cold and raw” with showers. Despite the bad weather, a record 650 runners traveled the 13.1-mile course. (Over 800 had registered but about 150 were no-shows because of the rain.) According to a report in the October 26 Hollis Times, Robert Sengstaken was the top Hollis male finisher and Jody Secules the top Hollis female.
The Fall Freedom Ride/Race was held one week earlier, on October 1, under beautiful Indian Summer skies. According to an article in the October 12, 1988 Hollis Times, 150 bicyclists rode, with 110 participating in the race. Riders came to Hollis from 27 New Hampshire and 39 Massachusetts towns, as well as from Vermont, Maine and New York to vie for prizes donated by local businessmen. The winner completed the 25-mile course in just over an hour. The other 40 cyclists logged between 11 and 72 miles on the bike tour, raising money for each mile ridden. Entry fees and pledge dollars all benefited the CATF (Chemical Abuse Task Force), with funds earmarked for drug and alcohol education and counseling in the Hollis schools.
Dominating the Hollis news scene in the fall of 1988 was the pressing need for a new high school. A Special School District hearing set for October 19 was postponed until November 11 and the associated Special District meeting put off until December 14. The meeting was scheduled to revote on a decision made at the March District meeting, which was declared invalid by the courts due to improper voting procedures. The old article authorized a $100,000 expenditure for the “down payment and other expenditures on a property or properties for a proposed school site.” The new article also asked that $25,000 of that $100,000 be available “for architectural fees for building schematics, specifications and site investigation.”
November 1988
The Selectmen’s Newsletter, written by Selectman Jim Belanger, was printed on the front page of the November 9, 1988 Hollis Times and began with a long dissertation titled “Have we seen the end of a tradition?” In this article, Belanger noted that the traditional annual Fireman’s Ball had to be canceled in 1988 as there were not enough tickets sold to even pay for the hall. He then chronicled the history of the Policeman’s Ball and Fireman’s Ball, which served the dual purpose of “providing the community with a grand occasion to gather and celebrate together” and funding a relief fund to be used to help the town’s volunteer policemen and firemen in case they were injured due to their efforts on behalf of the town.
Belanger noted that over the years the popularity of the event had waned, probably because the Police Department began to have more full-time officers but also possibly because the spirit and need to gather was now disappearing in the community. He suspected that “1988 may have signaled the end of the community’s banding together for a common purpose to promote volunteering.”
Although there was no Fireman’s Ball in 1988, townspeople were gathering and celebrating together. The Hollis Grange met and installed its officers for 1988-1989 and the Shepherd’s Fund was sponsoring a Holiday Craft Fair and Service Auction, which was held at the Hollis Town Hall on November 26. Of course, the Community Christmas Card Scholarship Fund drive was again underway.
December 1988
The Special School District Meeting on December 14, 1988 was certainly foremost in the minds of Hollis residents ten years ago, as 1988 was drawing to a close. The voters at the meeting approved, by a vote of 238 to 65, a warrant article to raise $100,000 “to study the suitability of potential [high] school sites, to put a down payment on land, and to employ an architect to assist with site evaluations and to develop building schematics and cost figures for a bond issue.” According to the December 7, 1988 Hollis Times, this was the same $100,000 that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters at the March School District Meeting. However, in October the State Department of Revenue declared that vote invalid. Two sites were being investigated for a new high school – the Parkhurst property at the end of Muzzey Road and a portion of the Town Forest known as the Big Dickerman at the corner of Hayden Road and Rte 122.
Town hall expansion was still being discussed, especially in the town hall, and Senior housing was also a hot topic of conversation. According to an article in the December 21 Hollis Times, the Senior Citizens’ Housing Committee had concluded that what they would like to see in Hollis was “a public Senior’s Hall, located on property that is suitable for expansion into housing as needed. Several apartment-like units would be connected to this hall for the immediate need, with the provision for expansion – these to be rented to pay their cost (no profit). Standardized individual or duplex cottages could then be built for Hollis Seniors who can no longer manage their existing homes. Financing these cottages might be by those wishing to live in the Senior’s Community with the facilities eventually reverting to the Organization for subsequent rental.”